Compare And Contrast A Doll House And The Poisonwood Bible

Nora is introduced as a housewife who believes the true meaning of marriage revolving around obedience. She demonstrates the true definition of a respectful daughter, a faithful and obedient wife, and a dependable mother. It wasn’t unusual for Torvald to throw his weight around towards Nora. He attempts to limit her macaroon intake “Hasn’t nibbled some pastry,” (Ibsen 788) she replies, “You know I could never think of going against you” (Ibsen 788). In the eyes of Nora, he is considered a confident, powerful, and successful businessman since he is receiving a promotion as a bank manager after the New Year. Torvald’s sense of marriage can be summed up that he is the king of the castle “This is the way it should be my darling Nora. What-ever comes, you’ll see: when it really counts, I have strength and courage enough as a man to take the whole weight myself” (Ibsen 814). Torvald’s view is she is just a “doll” in his doll house. To him, it was important to stress there was no such thing as equality in their partnership, he

A Doll's House by Henrik Ibsen and Trifles by Susan Glaspell are two plays that depict sexist attitudes towards women as both take place in societies where men are deemed as strong and smart and women as vulnerable and even silly. In A Doll's House, women are depicted as beings whom are there to sacrifice for their men. Women are not to be taken seriously. Men, by and large, take women for granted because they are blind to the sacrifices that women do make for them; instead men see themselves as more important because they are the heads of households who make money and decisions for the family. In A Doll's House Nora's ultimate sacrifice is finally walking away from her family. In Trifles, women are once again rather ignored in society. This is reflected in the story that takes place in the home of Mr. and Mrs. Wright. Mr. Wright has just been murdered and some important men come to investigate the crime. The men believe that Mrs. Wright murdered her husband, but are confused as to why she would do it. As two of the men's wives wait downstairs while the men do their important work, they end up solving the crime. The name "Trifles" comes from the men in the story who scoff at the women for paying attention to "trifles" though, what they do not know is that it is these very trifles that help the women in solving the crime. In A Doll's House, Nora goes behind her husband's back and takes out a loan to help him. The lengths that Nora goes to in getting this loan must be kept in

We also see his demeaning behavior when he underestimates her ability to handle money. Herman Weigand points out that "Torvald tells her in money matters she has inherited her father 's disposition" (Weigand 27). So Torvald 's condescending language and names keep Nora in her place as a doll where he likes her to be. James Huneker put it best when he said

A Doll House by Henrik Ibsen depicts a young wife, Nora, as she struggles to deal with the repercussions of illegally borrowing money to help save, her husband, Torvald’s life. The play ends after her activity has been brought to the light and Torvald’s true nature of selfishness is revealed. Nora leaves him, recognizing their marriage as unequal. Barbara Kingsolver’s The Poisonwood Bible is set thousands of miles away in the Congo compared to the northern European setting of A Doll House, where the Price family newly settles in as Christian missionaries, headed by husband and father, Nathan Price. The Poisonwood Bible follows four main characters, the Price girls, Rachel, Leah, Adah, and Ruth May. The family is driven apart by inner familial conflict, heightened by the death of the youngest child, Ruth May. Leah marries a Congolese, Anatole, and stays in Africa. A Doll House and The Poisonwood Bible show a material relationships between Nora and Torvald, and, Leah and Anatole, that mirror that of their parents, showing people may look to their spouse as a replacement as for parental figures who guide them. The parental like relationships between husband and wife stunts the individual growth of Nora and Leah, as their spouse serves as a replacement for their fathers, instead of allowing natural maturation. Ibsen uses Nora to show a realization of this replacement is needed to become an individual and forge their own paths, while Kingsolver does not have Leah recognize it, which continues to hinder her personal growth.

When the door slams at the end of “A Doll’s House” by Henry Ibsen, No one would not believe the woman walking out of her house is the same one who appeared at the beginning of the play. The main character in this play is Nora. Nora goes through a complete transformation, changing from a child like and dependant woman to a self strong woman pushing to become independent. Ibsen portrays the roles of society in the Victorian times in this play. Throughout her whole life, Nora’s husband and father have always controlled her; she has never been able to be independent, and the treatment she receives is not equal to the males around her, and the people around her belittle and patronize her to no end. Finally it goes too far and Nora realizes

Nora also receives the command from her husband that she should “...make your mind at ease again, my frightened little singing bird. Be at/ rest and feel secure; I have broad wings to shelter you under”(3. 1. 543-544). After showing his whimpering self at realizing that society might find out that he owes his wife, he then receives a note promising not to reveal the truth. Torvald reacts with happiness and pretends that he did not just hurt his wife. His wife does not let this go as he rants with sexist remarks bluffing about his strengths. The pride Torvald has as a man makes him discriminate against women and what they stand for showing making the break up within this family. Also in The House on Mango Street, one of the protagonist's friends must take care of their family because she is the eldest daughter but this has only made her hope for a man to get out of here since all she has learned is that men are superior to her. This shows how dominance of a family member can make other family members want to leave, therefore breaking the family

Nora begins to take offence to the words of Torvald. He refers to her as his most “prized possession”, and continues to say that he often imagines her as though she is his mistress, and she is a temptress. Nora continues to get offended, telling Torvald she doesn’t want any of this. Nora begins

Henrik Ibsen's, A Doll's House is definitely a unique story written by a very intelligent, complicated writer. I believe he intentionally wrote the play in a manner which would lead every reader to draw his own conclusions. He forces us to find our own interpretation of the play in context with our personal lives and experiences with the opposite sex. The theme may be interpreted by many as a study of the moral laws that men and women are required to follow by nature. I believe it is primarily based on the gender stereotypes that determine the role of women in society.

A Doll’s House, by Henrik Ibsen, creates a peephole into the lives of a family in the Victorian Era. The play portrays a female viewpoint in a male-dominated society. The values of the society are described using the actions of a woman, Nora, who rebels against the injustices inflicted upon her gender. Women’s equality with men was not recognized by society in the late 1800’s. Rather, a woman was considered a doll, a child, and a servant. Nora’s alienation reveals society’s assumptions and values about gender.

Several critics also saw Torvald as controlling and obsessive. Each critic noticed the change in Torvald?s personality when something was not perfect in his home. Clement Scott said, ?Helmer is very angry indeed. He forgets all his affection and endearment; he can only think of his personality injury? (222). Scott also said, ?Helmer?s attitude towards his child-wife is natural but unreasonable? (222). Besides being angry towards Nora, Torvald is also controlling. Forbidding Nora from eating candy reveals Torvald?s controlling side. Edmund Gosse said, ? Her doctor and her husband have told her not to give way to her passion for ?candy? in any of its seductive forms?? (220). He forbids Nora from eating candy because he does not want her teeth to become rotten. This shows how shallow he is. Torvald is so obsessed with Nora being perfect, that he really is not in love with her. ? Helmer only sees the attractiveness of this love which lies intoxicatingly over her silent farewell?(Salome 229). Torvald is mean, shallow, and does not truly love his wife.

In preparation for Nora's dance at the party, we again see Ibsen showing us Torvald's and Nora's roles. "I can't get anywhere without your help."(Ibsen 91) "Direct me. Teach me, the way you always have."(Ibsen 91) Nora's lines reflect the "costume" that Torvald expects her to wear (and which she wears obligingly), that of the meek, subservient, childlike wife.

Henrik Ibsen’s A Doll’s House is an adeptly composed play, captivating readers immediately with its intriguing title. A Doll’s House reflects the idea of oppression and how women are presented as dolls, being controlled and manipulated by their owners. Nora Helmer is placed in the position of a doll in a doll’s house in her life because of the overwhelming control her husband, Torvald, has on her life. Torvald’s control over finances, Nora’s manipulation while dancing the tarantella and her decision to move out from the “dollhouse”, depict oppression in the Helmer’s house.

Torvald is only concerned with, in regard to his relationship with Nora, how well she makes him look and what other people think about it. If he has a beautiful, obedient wife and joyful relationship, people will respect him. They’re relationship, on the outside appears to be happy. But, when you analyze their relationship, you see Nora is treated like a child in this relationship, but as the play progresses she begins to realize how phony her marriage is. Torvald sees Nora 's only role as being the subservient and loving wife. He refers to Nora as "my little squirrel" (185), “my little lark” (185), or “little spendthrift” (185). He only sees her as a possession. Torvald calls Nora by pet-names and speaks down to her because he thinks that she is not intelligent and that she can not think on her own. Whenever she begins

Ibsen shows that Torvald controls his wife to the point that he specifies what she is to eat. He shows this when Torvald asks Nora “Hasn't Miss Sweet Tooth been breaking rules in town today?” (I.6). Nora's resulting childish rebellion shows later when she secretly eats a macaroon or two she had hidden in her pocket. Torvald also asks Nora about household money and how she seems to spend it all when he says “You are an odd little soul. Very like your father. You always find some new way of wheedling money out of me, and, as soon as you have got it, it seems to melt in your hands” (I.6). The character Torvald is voicing his personal beliefs when talks about the way she spends money as being more a part of her heredity and beyond her control due to her sex rather than a learned personal habit. Men of that era and to some extent now, believed that women are simply on the level of a child just by being a woman. Thereby women are incapable of adult understanding; much less responsible for their own actions.

In Ibsen’s work, A Doll’s House, the setting is 1879, during the Victorian Era. During this time, women were assigned to an inferior role: Stay home and attend to the children and housekeeping while the men work. This “system” rested on the idea that women were inferior to men, the two genders not socially nor legally equal. Nora is the primary example of a woman constricted by social role. From the very beginning of the play, it is clear that Torvald holds all of the power in the relationship. Nora is treated as a child, being called discriminating names such as “spendthrift”, “squirrel”, “little lark”, etc. “My little songbird must never do that again. A song-bird must have a clean beak to chirp with- no false notes!” (Ibsen 26). She is also set to a certain standard and has to obey Torvald’s rules. For example, Nora is banned from eating macaroons because they will “rot her teeth.” Controlling what Nora may and may not eat shows just how constricted and imprisoned she really is. Not only does he control her and what she does, but he insults her as well. Torvald states, “Of course!- If only this obstinate little person can get her way!” (Ibsen 35).“Do you think I was going to let her remain there after that, and spoil the effect?” (Ibsen 53).